A patient is brought to the emergency room in an unconscious state. The physician notes that the patient is in need of emergency surgery. There are no family members present, and the patient does not have identification
What action by the nurse is most important regarding obtaining consent to examine and treat the patient?
A) Ask the social worker to come and sign the consent.
B) Contact the police to obtain the patient's identity.
C) Obtain a court order to treat the patient.
D) Make documentation in the patient's chart of level of consciousness and health status of patient.
Ans: D
Feedback: When patients are unconscious and in critical condition, the condition and situation should be documented to administer treatment quickly and timely when no consent can be obtained by usual routes. A social worker is not asked to sign the consent. Finding the patient's identity is not a priority. Obtaining a court order would take too long.
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